First I am truly sorry that you are going through all of this. Now, to me it sounds like you need some outside help like a case manager or something to help to learn to cook, shop, get around, etc. Do you know how to get a hold of any organization of that sort? Now, do you not know how to cook? Or just don't like to? Or a little of both? Cuz I am a little of both..lol If you don't mind, are you type 1 or type 2?

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Last edited 7 months ago

Life can be tough, can't it? I am so sorry about all that you're dealing with. Hopefully you have relatives and/or friends that provide you with support and assistance. Living alone (divorced), I find that I have lost much of my desire to cook, so I tend to do whatever is quick & easy. (I still work too.) I'm on the go, so it's not always convenient to eat properly. I do a better job at times than I do at other times, as is the case with most of us, I'm sure.

I'm not sure why you're not cooking much, but I sense that it might be because of health reasons, since you say you are "unable" to cook for yourself. Have you considered looking into something like Meals on Wheels? No idea what their criteria is, but that might be a resource for you.

Again, I pray that you have someone to assist you and do your shopping for you. You certainly do need food in the house, and do need to be taking good care of yourself.

You might check with the local hospital, and your doctor, to see what type assistance is available to you in the areas where you need help. God bless you.

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Last edited 7 months ago

Do you have a friend who goes shopping for you? If so, then have them bring you healthy foods instead of junk foods. That could be a start. Many grocery stores offer online shopping and even delivery now a days, so you can choose for yourself healhtier options.
There are tons of things you can do in a microwave. Maybe get a cookbook for microwave. That might help reduce the TV dinner thing. Those taste pretty crummy anyway.
If you have a friend who can prepare some things that you could freeze. Like soups and stews. Even prep up a few entree meals that you can just pop in the freezer. A lot of us do that for ourselves to keep us true to what we are eating.
This is going to sound mean, but it is intenede to help...no more pitty parties. You should be thrilled that you have lived longer than the doctor said, and now get on a mission to prove him wrong again and again one day at a time. Put a little fire in your heart. (and I don't mean heartburn!LOL)
You have come this far by not taking very good care of yourself. Just imagine how you will feel when you ARE taking care of yourself. I see that smile....

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First I would say....you've proven them wrong once, 3 years longer than expected IS a big deal. You did that, you can do this!!! If someone else does your shopping, make a shopping list with more veggies and fruits instead of tv dinners and junk food, as you said. Check to see if there are any support groups near you. Do you have any sort of public transportation available to you, or something like a "Handy Bus" for those who could otherwise not get out and about?
You cannot change everything all at once and it isn't easy, I know, but, little steps towards healthier eating can still help.
Are you able to do any sort of exercising at all, walking maybe? If you cannot they do have exercise routines from a sitting position for your legs and arms.
I cannot begin to say I understand your situation because not having experienced it myself there is no way for me to understand it completely. I did however give up on taking care of my diabetes for quite some time and only recently changed my way of thinking and decided to get back on track. It is very frustrating because now that I am actually trying and working on getting my numbers down by eating right, exercising and taking my meds, I'm still out of control as far as my numbers show and it makes me want to give up all over again but I won't... I have to do this or else...is what I remind myself every single day and many times a day.
I also wonder if you would possibly qualify for some sort of home health care, where someone comes into your home and cooks and cleans for you, some do it only a few days a week others every day, is this something you can check into for yourself. If someone could come in and cook for you and prepare the meals ahead of time then all you would have to do is heat them up, much like tv dinners only better foods.
These are just a few suggestions I have and you may have already tried them all and I'm sorry if that is the case and I was no help at all.
I wish you all the best,
~Robin

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Last edited 7 months ago

Donna,
Everyone has already said everything that I would say here and I agree with all of it, friends, family, meal on wheels. etc...
From me, I am sorry that you have lived with this for so long but you've beaten the odds so far. My advice and I've mentioned this in discussions before is to find the gifts in each day. For starters when you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and realize truly that you have beaten the odds one more time.. every day you need to reaffirm that you won even if only for that day and then find a gift for yourself, even something as simple as seeing a bird through the window. Make each day an adventure, even if it's only from your chair or a bed. Read a book, a fantasy or something, take yourself someplace else if even for an hour. Coping skills are important and these are a few of mine that I'd like to share with you. You sound like you know what you should be eating and it's difficult when you are not able to do things as you'd probably like to I know and given the prognosis that you've been given you probably think to yourself 'why bother'... well you are worth the bother. Making each day count and feeling good about yourself both mentally and physically is sooo very important.
Look to others for support at home just as you have here. Asking someone 'Can you please....' takes so much effort (I know I'm an independent cuss lol) but at the end of the day, despite it all you will still be you whether you ask or not, maybe a happier you because you did.
Sorry to babble on here but you are worth the effort to give yourself a wonderful day... if it's one more day or 1000000 more days you are still worth it.

*Judy

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Last edited 7 months ago

First of all, I think you ARE doing well to be alive when you were given such a short life span! I understand your problem with eating the right things since I live in a place where lunch and dinner are part of living here! I don't have a lot of control over my diet. BUT, I do have control over eating deserts and any snacks I choose to eat. I don't eat the deserts and am learning from people here what good snacks I can have. Do you have someone to do you shopping who will pick up the snacks you want? Watching the carbs is important and you can do that with your snacks and junk food. Don't give up, you've beaten them so far and you can continue to build yourself up and get stronger.

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I would suggest perhaps buying Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers tv dinners.
Start trying to have a positive outlook on your diabetis. Once your in check, your life will improve. You'll be in good health and able to do more things...
Your Friend, Leigh

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who does the cooking for you? Do you have in home caregiver? Do you live at home or in a facility? You always have choices, but if you don't know you have choices, you don't have choices.... Talk to whomever is around and ask them for help. Tell your helpers that you want to make some changes and start putting it out there that you are open for suggestions, like you have here on site... the problem here is that we aren't there... so even if we want to, we can't come in to assist...Meals on Wheels may be one resource for you... you can contact your community senior center and take to them about your unmet needs. The senior center in my community offer in home counseling for people to explore their options... I just know that someone can help you if you find out who...and where... tell your doctor... tell anyone you talk to and ask them to help you find resources... call the diabetic support group at your local hospital... talk to as many people in your community as you can... hugs, j

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